


Things change

by LeMera (Agha)



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Iron Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Mistaken Identity, Traveling between universes, alternative universe, but everyone's in on it as it happens, slight dub-con due to mistaken identity
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-18
Updated: 2017-07-23
Packaged: 2018-11-02 06:53:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10939266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Agha/pseuds/LeMera
Summary: Tony gave up on the chance of Rhodey ever having feelings for him a long time ago. He's happy with just being friends. Until one day, out of the blue, Rhodey grabs him and kisses him. But it all seems too good to be true.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Look, I know I'm supposed to be finishing the Sam/Bucky story, BUT I really love this pairing and I wanted to add another one to it. The idea came on its own. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Timeline wise, this is set somewhere after the first Avengers movie. When after? Who knows.
> 
> Slight dub-con warning because of mistaken identity. See end notes for details (and spoilers).

The sunlight hit him square in the face, and Tony groaned loudly. "JARVIS!" he growled, burying his head under the pillow. "Who said you should let the sun in?"

"I did."

Tony turned over slowly, squinting in the light. Rhodey stood in the doorway, looking amused at Tony's misery. Tony had forgotten he'd stayed in the guest room. He was only in a pair of sweatpants, and Tony couldn't help but trace the outline of his muscles, down to...

 _Wait_. He shook his head and looked away. This wasn't supposed to happen anymore. He should've gotten over this in college, which was almost... He groaned loudly again. Twenty years? Was he really that old?

"I brought you coffee, sleepyhead."

That got him to perk up a bit. He made gimme-hands at the cups, and almost downed half of it in one go, ignoring his burnt tongue. "You're the best."

"I know I am." Rhodey sat down on the other side of the bed. He looked oddly comfortable in Tony's bed. It wasn't like they hadn't crashed in the same bed occasionally in the past, but they didn't exactly make a habit of it. Rhodey leaned in close, smiling brightly, and something caught in Tony's throat. Rhodey smiled at him often, but not like that. "Go brush your teeth." They were so close that Rhodey only had to whisper to be heard. Tony felt his breath puff against his cheek when he spoke.

"Why?"

"Because your breath it stinks."

Tony laughed. "What does it matter? It's not like you're going to kiss me." He expected Rhodey to pull back and maybe laugh. Instead, he raised an eyebrow in challenge.

"Oh really?"

It happened so fast, and yet it was the slowest moment in Tony's life. Rhodey tilted his head, and they were so close together already he only had to tip his head forward for their lips to connect.

Tony froze. There was no other word for it. He'd wanted, oh how he'd wanted. For  _years_. All the way throughout college, and even a while after that. But it'd become pretty obvious early on that Rhodey was straight. Completely, utterly, boringly straight. He'd never minded Tony going out with men, but he'd never shown any interest in doing the same. Still, Rhodey had been his best friend. His only friend for a long time. So he gave up his crush in order to keep the man he loved. Friendship was enough. It wasn't as if he couldn't get sex from elsewhere.

But now...

Rhodey had obviously noticed something was wrong because he pulled back slightly. He met Tony's eyes, giving him a questioning look. "Is everything okay?"

"Okay?" Tony couldn't help but laugh again. "Everything's perfect."

Rhodey smiled, and leaned back in. This time Tony was ready.

He caught Rhodey's lips, kissing him back with the enthusiasm of a horny fifteen year old. He opened his mouth to Rhodey, letting them fall into a mess of sloppy, giggling kisses. It was pretty embarrassing - he was a known playboy he should be showing off his moves - but he couldn't bother to care. He was too excited, too happy. Rhodey seemed amused, laughing against his lips between kisses. He tangled his fingers in Tony's hair, bringing him closer. Tony took that as permission to touch as well.

He pressed his hands to Rhodey's chest, and _oh_ , those muscles felt even better than he'd thought they would. They had to break the kiss for air, and Tony immediately latched his mouth to Rhodey's pecs, leaving a trail of biting kisses. His hands kept mapping out Rhodey's chest, and then moved to his back, going up so he could pull Rhodey's body flush against his. "You feel so fucking good," Tony breathed against Rhodey's neck. "I've wanted to touch you forever."

"Mmm," Rhodey murmured, kissing over his cheek and back to his mouth. His hands went down Tony's back, and he felt something cold and metal dragging against his skin, but didn't stop to wonder what it was. He suddenly grabbed two handfulls of Tony's ass, and Tony let out a surprised squeak. "Missed you too."

There was something odd about those words, but Tony couldn't figure out what. It shouldn't matter. Rhodey was kissing him, nothing else in the world should matter.

And yet.

Rhodey was straight. Rhodey had never shown any sexual or romantic interest in him. Rhodey would never just jump into kissing without a long conversation before that about their friendship and future. Tony would know; he'd imagined the conversation a million times over.

Rhodey didn't seem to notice Tony's hesitation. He let go of Tony's ass only so he could pull him up, nudging him so he would straddle Rhodey's lap. Tony's body reacted without his permission. He was already achingly hard, and he could feel Rhodey's erection poking him in the ass. Rhodey grounded up, and Tony hissed at the pleasurable friction it caused. They kissed again, and Tony lost himself in it for a while.

"Get your pants off," Rhodey murmured, pulling at the garment impatiently.

This was when Tony knew something was really off. Rhodey wouldn't just jump into bed with his friend for over twenty years. How did he even know Tony would be into it? Tony liked to believe he'd been pretty good at hiding his feelings. And even if he did know Tony was interested, how come he'd never done anything about it before.

Tony pulled back, his hands resting on Rhodey's shoulders. He caught his eyes, but he looked identical to the Rhodey he'd always known. He traced Rhodey's cheeks, his kiss-swollen lips, and couldn't help but be drawn in. He wanted this so bad. "Are you sure?" he asked breathlessly. If Rhodey said yes, then fuck the rest. He could ask questions later. As long as Rhodey was absolutely sure that he wanted this right now. "Are you completely sure that you want to do this?"

Rhodey smiled fondly. "You're acting as if we've never fucked before."

Well, that did it. Tony scrambled off Rhodey's lap, and jumped out of bed too for good measure. "Who are you?"

"Tony?" Rhodey got up on his knees, looking confused.

"Maybe I should ask _what_ you are."

"Is this a role play thing?" Rhodey asked. "I thought we talked about this; no roleplaying without letting the other know all the details."

"This isn't... JARVIS!"

"YES, MR STARK."

"What is that on my bed?"

"THAT WOULD BE COLONEL JAMES RHODES."

"Tony, it's me," Rhodey said calmly. "What's wrong, babe. Tell me." He reached out for Tony, but he took a step back.

"Babe? You don't call me babe! That's not..." His eyes caught on something on Rhodey's left hand. A silver wedding band. "You're married?"

"You're... not?"

Tony shook his head numbly. Rhodey fell back against the cushions, burying his face in his hands. "For fuck's sake Anthony." Tony flinched at the sudden anger in his voice. "I told you not to touch the portal-thing."

"The what?"

"Fuck! " Rhodey got out of bed, and went to Tony's closet. "I should have known that something was wrong when the kitchen was clean, and I didn't step on any toys." He tore into the closet, shifting through the clothes. "None of my stuff is here."

"Why would it be?"

"What is this shit?" Rhodey asked him, as if Tony had any clue at all. "Time travel?" He shook his head to his own question. "No, you're about the same age as when I last saw you, meaning we should already be married."

"Be WHAT?" Tony exclaimed. Everything felt odd. The whole world had titled sideways somehow. "What is going on?"

Rhodey calmed down slightly, and threw Tony an almost pitying glance. "I'm sorry. Anthony, the Anthony that I know, touched a portal thing and now I'm here. I don't know how else to explain it."

"You're lying. This is just all dream or _something_."

"I can probably prove this. JARVIS!" Rhodey called.

"YES, MR RHODES?"

"Is there any other Tony Stark in the building?"

"THERE APPEARS TO BE ANOTHER ANTHONY STARK IN THE TOWER, YES."

"Wait, what?"

"Where is he?" Rhodey asked.

"HE AND THE OTHER JAMES RHODES ARE CURRENTLY IN THE GUEST BEDROOM."

"See." Rhodey pointed at the roof, as if to indicate JARVIS. "Let's just go and talk to the other you. He'll explain everything better than I ever could. Unless I kill him first, of course." He took a shirt out of Tony's closet and pulled it on. Despite everything that had happened, Tony was still sad to see his chest get covered up.

"So... married?" Tony couldn't help but ask as they walked down the hallway. He still wasn't sure he believed in whatever the hell this was, but he was curious.

"Since it became legal. But we've been together for much longer."

"What about the army?"

Rhodey shrugged. "Kept it secret at first, but when we got really serious I quit. Joined SHIELD instead. They are much laxer on these things."

"You quit... for me?" Tony felt oddly touched, despite the fact that this man might very well be a shape-shifting alien for all he knew.

"Not exactly. I quit for Maria."

"Maria Hill?"

Rhodey gave him a long look. "Let's just see what Anthony has to say about this."

They reached the room. The door was locked, oddly enough. "JARVIS, open up," he commanded.

"SIR, I MUST WARN YOU..."

"Just do it!" he snapped.

The door clicked open and they pushed inside. Not a moment to late, it seemed, because they walked in just as a man who looked very much like Rhodey was about to enter a man who looked just like Tony.

"Wait, what?" Tony said.

"ANTHONY!" Rhodey roared.

They pulled apart, hurrying to cover themselves with the blanket. Anthony - the other Anthony who was not Tony but still somehow looked just like him - stared wide-eyed between Rhodey and Rhodey. "James?" he said questioningly to both of them.

"Anthony," James - the James with the wedding band - said, slightly calmer this time. "What the hell?"

"You..." Anthony pointed at James. "But then you." He turned and pointed at Rhodey, who looked just as confused about the whole thing.

"I am your James," James said. "That," he pointed at Rhodey, "is his James," he pointed at Tony.

"Well, he's not really mine," Tony said. "And I usually call him Rhodey." He didn't know what that even mattered at a point like this.

"What's going on?" Rhodey - Tony's Rhodey - said worriedly.

"Yeah, Anthony, what's going on?" James gave Anthony a murderous look.

"Okay, everyone should just calm down," Anthony said. "Let's just get dressed and we'll talk this through."

Tony thought that was a great idea. He left the room without prompting, feeling trapped his own skin. His shirt was too tight. He didn't know what was going on, and he didn't like it.

"You're dead," James said, coming to wait with him. "The other you, I mean."

Rhodey and Anthony emerged quickly, their clothes slightly muzzled. Tony needed a drink.

They all sat down around the table in the dining room, and an awkward silence descended on them. Tony  _really_ needed a drink.

"Do you want to explain?" James said at last.

Anthony looked like he was thinking the exact same thing as Tony. "Rhodey and I met in the kitchen, and I figured you just hadn't had time to put the ring on."

"And you didn't think the whole guest room thing was strange?"

Anthony shrugged. "I figured you just wanted to make sure the kids didn't interrupt."

"What kids?" Rhodey asked. "Why is there two of us?"

"You touched the thing, didn't you?" James said. Anthony looked down on his hands. "God damn it!"

"What thing?" Rhodey started to sound annoyed.

"Some alien thing we found. It was supposed to be a portal to other worlds. Mirror worlds," Anthony explained.

"And you decided to touch it, despite being told repeatedly by literally everyone you know not to," James said. "Fury told you not to do it. Hill, Bruce, Steve, Pepper..."

"Okay, I get your point! I just wanted to see how it worked, so I hooked it up to a few machines. I barely touched it, I swear."

"If Anthony was the one that was playing around with it," Tony said slowly, and wow was it weird to speak about himself in third person, "how come James came through as well?"

"Yeah," James said suspiciously. "How come." Anthony made a face, refusing to meet anyone's eyes. "You brought it to our house?" James almost shouted. "What if one of the kids..."

"You know I'd never put them in danger! I put it on the second floor so even if something did happen, it wouldn't reach..."

"For fuck's sake Anthony!" Despite shouting, James didn't actually sounds that angry anymore. He just sounded resigned. As if this was something he was used to.

"Again, I have to ask," Rhodey said, "what kids?"

"Just to clear everything up," Anthony said. "You two aren't married?"

Rhodey paled significantly. "Married?"

"We're not even together," Tony groused.

"That's can't be true, because he and I were just very much to-" he trailed off when he caught James' eyes. "I honestly thought it was you, I swear," he told James. "Can you really cheat on someone with that very same person?"

"Yes!" But once again, James didn't actually sound that angry. Anthony seemed to notice it as well, because he suddenly looked suspicious.

"Wait, did you also..." He waved between Tony and James.

"No we did not," James huffed. "Because we figured it out, unlike you two."

"Well, I figured it out," Tony said.

"Yes!" Anthony exclaimed happily. "You can't leave me for doing something you did."

"We just kissed. You were a second away from being stuffed by him." James pointed at Rhodey, who was doing his best at melting into the chair. During this whole conversation, Rhodey hadn't looked at Tony once. That was too bad: Tony had a lot of questions.

"Look we can argue about who's messed up..."

"You have," James said. "You touched the portal."

"...later," Anthony went on. "Once we get back home. The kids are probably worried."

"What kids!" Rhodey exclaimed.

"Our kids," James said. "Maria and Terrance." He suddenly went tense, and threw Anthony a worried look. "Does that mean in this timeline our children aren't alive?" His voice had suddenly gone panicked. Anthony reached over the table and grabbed his hand to calm him down, but there was something sad in his eyes.

"They might be," he said soothingly. "They probably just have other parents."

"Your kids are adopted?" Tony asked.

"How else did you think we got them?"

Tony shrugged. "I figured I probably got someone knocked up at some point, and Rhodey pitched in to help."

"No, although we did know Maria's mother, Amy. She was with me in the army," James said. "She died close to Maria's birth."

"I remember Amy," Rhodey said, perking up slightly. "I considered..." He chewed on his lower lip. "I considered taking her on, but I was alone and I didn't think I'd be able to do it. I figured a stable couple could probably do it better."

"We were that stable couple, it seems," Anthony said.

"But that was like sixteen years ago."

"Yep, sounds about right. She grew up fast, and we got nostaligic about her childhood. That's why we got Terrance."

"Took us five years with six different agencies," James reminisced. "He was two when we got him. Just turned three now."

Tony felt oddly numb. This was too strange. This was everything that he wanted but thought he'd never have. Maybe not in college; back then even the mention of a child would've sent him running for the hills. But now, as he was nearing the age where some would claim he was too old to have children, he'd sometimes found himself considering it. What if he'd gotten married in his twenties the way most of the people he knew did, gotten a house, and a child or two? The only two people he'd ever considered that it might work out with were Pepper and Rhodey, and they were simultaneously the only two people he couldn't have it with.

But this man from another universe, this Anthony, had somehow ended up getting it all. "How?" he wondered out loud. "What went wrong?"

James looked offended. "There is nothing wrong with our children."

"No, I meant for us," he explained hurriedly. "Why didn't we...?"

Rhodey and Tony's eyes finally met for the first time. Tony couldn't read his expression, but he figured he was feeling something close to the confusion and wonder that Tony was experiencing.

"What went wrong with us?"


	2. Chapter 2

"What the hell was that?" was the first thing Tony said when he and Rhodey got alone.

They'd gotten in touch with SHIELD, and it seemed they'd had a replica of whatever device brought their alternative universe versions though hidden in some basement. Anthony and Banner were working on it now, and usually Tony would be all over it as well. But he needed to have this conversation with Rhodey soon or he would go mad.

"Look, Tony, I'm sorry," Rhodey responded. He sat down at the kitchen table. "I know it was weird finding me in bed with, well, you. I wouldn't have done it if I had known it wasn't you."

"So you thought it was me?" Tony's heart was beating unnaturally hard.

"Of course I thought it was you! It's not like Anthony showed up, announced that he was married to me in another universe, and propositioned me."

"But he did proposition you?"

Rhodey sighed and scrubbed his hand over his face. "We just sort of talked a bit."

"About what?"

"Nothing special. Same way we usually talk in the mornings. It felt nice, familiar. Then he told me he thought I looked good, and asked if I wasn't too tired for a kiss." He frowned. "I thought that was phrased a bit strangely, as far as pick-up lines go, but I figured since we'd been friends for a while lines don't really matter. Then we kissed, and, well..." He waved his hands around, as if to indicated the whole almost fucking part.

"That's it?" Tony said, marvelled. "All I had to do was tell you you were pretty and you'd suddenly be into me?" If he'd known he'd have done it back in college.

"Well, I wouldn't put it like that."

"Then how would you put it?"

Rhodey sighed and buried his face in his hands. "I don't know Tony. This is all very strange to me."

"But you said you were straight." Tony couldn't help but sound accusing.

"Is anyone  _really_ straight?"

He let out a frustrated growl. "This feels a bit late to be having a sexuality crisis."

"I'm not having a sexuality crisis, Tony." Rhodey lifted his head so he could meet Tony's eyes. "Back in college, I knew you had a crush on me."

Oh that hurt. That hurt more than he thought possible. Twenty years later and Rhodey still somehow managed to break his heart. He collapsed into a chair. "You never said."

"Because you were a kid. It was your first time away from home and I know I was there for you in a lot of ways and you got a crush. I figured you'd get over it. You _did_ get over it. And you became my best friend. It seemed pointless to mention it."

"What is it about him that's different?" Tony asked, feeling hollow. There must be something fundamentally wrong with him if Rhodey preferred someone who looked just like him. Something faulty in his personality or...

"Nothing. Tony, I thought he was you!"

"But you just said you don't want me!" Tony exclaimed.

"I thought I didn't. Up until the very moment you-he- _whatever_ asked me for a kiss I honestly thought I didn't. But when you- _he_ asked, well, I thought..." Rhodey's eyes went distant.

"What?" Tony pressed. He didn't get an answer. "Come on, tell me. What changed?"

"Everything changed, in case you didn't notice. Aliens fell out of the sky. Captain America came back to life." He let out a frustrated groan. "You carried a fucking missile through a hole in the sky. Tony, the whole world has gone sideways. Nothing I thought was true is true anymore. So I thought, maybe this has changed to." He gestured between them. "I thought you were over me, but you apparently weren't if you still wanted to kiss me. I thought I wasn't into you, but after everything that happened I started to question my own thoughts. You're not a kid anymore, and we're not in high school, and I figured hey, it can't hurt, you know?"

"And?" Tony was practically holding his breath. "Have things changed?"

"I..." Rhodey took a few deep breaths. "I don't know."

"You don't know? You were a moment away from fucking me- _him_."

"I know. And it felt good, being so close to you. Physically I mean. But to be honest it all went really fast. Too fast for me to think. One moment we were kissing, the next we were half-naked in bed." He let out a deep breath. "It makes sense, I guess. Anthony thought we were married, so he probably didn't think there was anything to think about as long as I wasn't outright telling him no."

"Which you didn't do."

"As I said. It felt good at the moment, and I wasn't thinking."

"Would you fuck me right now if I wanted to?" Tony asked. "If we were to..."

"Tony, stop. Just..." He shook his head. "I love you. You know do. And obviously I'm not opposed to kissing you. But..."

"But what? You saw them. They're happy. They have a life together. Why can't we?"

"Because I don't know if I want that. I don't know if having sex will strengthen our relationship or ruin it. I don't know if..."

"If you're in love with me," Tony finished for him.

Rhodey swallowed. "I love you," he repeated.

"It's not the same."

"I don't know," was all Rhodey had to offer.

"I'm in love with you." It hurt to say it, but since they were putting it all out there. "I thought I got over it, I _did_ get over it, but then..."

"Things changed." Rhodey nodded. "I know."

Tony hated this. All of this. Why did the world have to be so cruel to him? He'd accepted his faith. He knew that he and Rhodey would never be together, and he was fine with that. He knew he'd never have children, and he was fine with that too. His suits were like his children anyway. Then, he gets a direct glimpse of how life could be if he got all those things. It wasn't fair. The universe couldn't just dangle all the things he wanted right in front of him, and then snatch it away, together with twenty years of friendship with it.

"I don't want to lose you," Tony said quietly.

"What?" Rhodey stood up. "Tony, no. You're not going to lose me." He reached out and wrapped his arms around Tony. "I told you, I love you. But we're both in a state right now, I think we need some time to think."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit shorter than I'd planned but I figured it was better to put it out there rather than wait for another couple of months. I hope it's okay for now.

**Author's Note:**

> Tony kisses and feels up a Rhodey from a different universe than his, thinking it's his Rhodey.
> 
> Rhodey almost has penetrative sex with a Tony from another universe, thinking it's the real Tony, but it's stopped before the actual penetration happens. Still, they obviously kiss and touch a lot, so it's basically sex I guess?
> 
> It's all consensual, but since it's mistaken identity there's something inherently dub-con about it.


End file.
